Yesterday, my wife and I lost our best friend. We did the hardest thing I think I have ever had to do. We made the decision to have him put to sleep. His name was Bucky, and he had been a major part of our lives for 15 years.
You know, as I reflect on his life and how he impacted mine, it’s strange how something can be annoying and frustrating for years, and in the blink of an eye, can become a treasured memory and cause for respect, admiration and love.
He was always getting under foot, and I can’t count how many times I tripped over him. He was my shadow. He followed me everywhere, and spent most of his time, laying at my feet. He would position himself, many times even laying on my feet, so that I couldn’t get up without having to step over him, and when I did, he would jump up and follow close behind. That’s where he wanted to be…close to me. It only makes since that I would trip over him. But I see now, that he was only demonstrating his loyalty. He was truly a loyal dog.
I couldn’t eat a snack, much less a meal, without him at my feet, staring up at me with those big brown eyes, waiting for me to share. Every time I walked into the kitchen, he followed me there excitedly, awaiting his morsel of something tasty. Everyone in the house could have a t-bone steak and I could have a cup of coffee, but he would plant himself at my feet and wait for me to share. At times, I was annoyed by this. But I see now that this was his utter dependence on me. I was his provider, his Alpha dog.
There were times he would wake us up in the middle of the night, barking. This was certainly annoying at the time, but he was only trying to protect us. Though he would try, he was no guard dog. He would let anyone come into the house, he wouldn’t bark until they left. He didn’t like people leaving. Probably because everyone that came, would pet him, he was hard to ignore, he was adorable.
He was such a joy to come home to. He was always happy to see us, and he was always excited when we walked in the door, jumping and running and play bowing. He had a way of warming our hearts and putting smiles on our faces, no matter how bad of a day we may have had.
Though I know that life goes on, mine is now missing a pretty large piece, and I will miss him dearly, I already do. He was such a big part of my daily routine. I always get up before my wife, and the very first thing I do, is step over Bucky. He slept at the foot of the bed, and to get past him, I had to step over him. This would of course wake him up and he would follow me to the kitchen while I poured myself a cup of coffee and then follow me to my chair, where he would lay at my feet, while I study my Bible. He always seemed to know when it was time to wake up Momma. And he would, as usual, follow me to the bedroom to help. When I wake her, she greets me good morning, then reaches down to greet and pet Bucky who is standing beside me wagging his little stubby tail, anxiously waiting for her to get up. This morning, I had to wake her alone. It didn’t seem right.
I miss him so much. He was such a huge blessing in my life, it won’t be the same without him. It’s strange how human they become. He was my buddy and I loved him so much.